First time Hog Hunting coming up

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - First time Hog Hunting coming up

Posted: 1/23/2017 12:00:03 PM EDT

Heading up to Mo with a buddy with a buddy to get some hogs on his private land.

I think they have been feeding from his deer feeders.

First time hunting anything other than deer/ducks and paper targets.

I was thinking about bringing my recently acquired CMP M1 Garand for the fun.

Also, I have a Marlin in .270 (3-9x) , Rem700 in .308 (SPS Tactical with a fixed 10x) and a whole bunch of other C&R rifles.

I left my M1A up in Ohio which probably would have been perfect. I'm in the process of moving and currently back down in Oklahoma.

Any reason why I shouldnt bring the Garand? I have whole lots of 150gr Garand loaded ammo. All FMJ but I do have some lightly loaded GameKing ammunition as well.

The thing I'm most concerned with is I dont have any pistols down here, I took them all up north.

Anything else I should look out for?

Posted: 1/23/2017 2:56:18 PM EDT

[#1]

your shots will most likely be from short distance and quick so an iron sight Garand should do just fine. You really need a tough bullet for hogs like a Barnes TTSX so the fmj should be fine although not ideal.

Posted: 1/23/2017 9:47:01 PM EDT

[#2]

Someone post the photo of the kill zone on a pig. It's different than a deer. Know where to shoot. The bottom of the ear will definitely do the trick if you can get that precise.

Posted: 1/23/2017 10:03:51 PM EDT

[#3]

Kill shot, don't worry about a pistol normally wont do you a bit of good. If you get that close they will tear you up!

Posted: 1/23/2017 10:16:32 PM EDT

[#4]

Something to remember. Anything over 125 makes great fertilizer, they taste nasty.
If you do plan on eating the smaller ones, they will stink your house out while cooking
Process immediately after killing, more than a couple of hours and I wouldn't eat it.

Best of luck, it is fun and at times can get dangerous. I do not use dogs, I crawled to them in their environment. This is not as you see on some of those tv shows. Hogs will eat you alive if cornered. Ive dot video footage of them thrashing a gallon milk jug just like a pit bull would. In their mouth shaking it violently.

Pics of some of my hunting on my farm. All hogs taken with my .50 Beowulf

First pic shows a huge as close to 5' tall bore. The fence he is standing by is 6' tall

Posted: 1/23/2017 10:19:47 PM EDT

[#5]

Let me add, most will take more than 1 shot. They may just look at you the first shot. If you see a few of them together, shoot 1 and wait, the others will come back.

Pigs are smart, they see anything out of place they will be gone. Easiest is to enter into their territory while they are playing in the mud.

Ive never ever used dogs, I like the fair hunts. Mano a mano

Posted: 1/23/2017 11:18:55 PM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:
Let me add, most will take more than 1 shot. They may just look at you the first shot. If you see a few of them together, shoot 1 and wait, the others will come back.

Pigs are smart, they see anything out of place they will be gone. Easiest is to enter into their territory while they are playing in the mud.

Ive never ever used dogs, I like the fair hunts. Mano a mano

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No dogs here either. Good thing I'll have 8 rounds a Garand clip. I don't feel like getting eaten by a hog

Posted: 1/23/2017 11:29:19 PM EDT

[#7]

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No dogs here either. Good thing I'll have 8 rounds a Garand clip. I don't feel like getting eaten by a hog

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Unless you are going up a bog and into their wallow like I did you will be ok. Thye are just as scared of you as you are them.

I hunted hogs for about 20 years and even on those last hunts hearing wild boar coming toward you without seeing them would still get my heart racing.

Another thing, you can smell them a good distance away.

Snakes were my biggest fear and because I was crawling for hours I had to travel light, no side arm, probably lose it.

Posted: 1/23/2017 11:39:18 PM EDT

[#8]

Check back periodically, im going to find the video of the 2 hogs that got caught in my live trap ( I had a special permit because I had so many pigs), the trap was designed to catch the lil ones. But a large sow and boar got in it. They were thrashing the milk jug and growling. I had a video security system that watched the trap. I believe that 5' hog pictured above was to blame for the destruction of my trap.

Best of luck, I look forward to seeing some pics since I can no longer hunt.

JR

Posted: 1/23/2017 11:47:27 PM EDT

[#9]

I try to pick out a good size one for the kitchen and hit it in the bottom of the ear. Then do the best you can with the others on the run.

Depending on the wind you might actually smell them before you see them. Have fun and bring home some meat!

Posted: 1/24/2017 11:25:50 AM EDT

[#10]

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Quoted:
Kill shot, don't worry about a pistol normally wont do you a bit of good. If you get that close they will tear you up!

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Thank you - much lower than I thought

Posted: 1/24/2017 10:34:09 PM EDT

[#11]

You can eat them if they are bigger than 125. You will know if they stink real bad. Most sows won't smell bad. Well they will smell bad but not that boar been pissing on himself all day smell. Trick is to put them in an ice chest fill with ice and leave plug on it. When the ice melts and is mostly water drain it and repeat. The water will be extremely bloody. Do this for 2 days. Then fill with ice and leave plug off of the cooler for another 3 days. Check on it every 8 hrs or so to make sure the ice hasn't melted away too much. The nasty taste people talk about is in the blood. Get the blood out and it's just lean pork that tastes like it's from the store.

Posted: 1/25/2017 11:46:25 PM EDT

[#12]

Hog blaster

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Posted: 1/26/2017 12:17:43 AM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
You can eat them if they are bigger than 125. You will know if they stink real bad. Most sows won't smell bad. Well they will smell bad but not that boar been pissing on himself all day smell. Trick is to put them in an ice chest fill with ice and leave plug on it. When the ice melts and is mostly water drain it and repeat. The water will be extremely bloody. Do this for 2 days. Then fill with ice and leave plug off of the cooler for another 3 days. Check on it every 8 hrs or so to make sure the ice hasn't melted away too much. The nasty taste people talk about is in the blood. Get the blood out and it's just lean pork that tastes like it's from the store.

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I have added a little vinegar or lemon juice and it's kinda like a pre marinade. But you can tell if they smell to rank. The M1 should work just fine but remember some of your shots may come in low light and peep sights are hard to use when it's dusky dark. A weapon with a good optic might be a better choice. Good Luck I hope you slay several.

Posted: 1/26/2017 12:23:19 AM EDT

[#14]

Do you have an AR?

I have taken dozens with cheap 55grn FMJ shooting shoulder or forward. Drops them just like my .308 does.

Just cooked up some hog backstrap for Sunday dinner. Tasty stuff, I just do backstraps. Easy to get to.

When you clean one, use two knives... one for the skinning and gutting, and the other for when you cut out the edible meat. Hogs are nasty.

As to a pistol, took a few out of a trap with a 9mm FMJ last weekend. Charging animal is not a time to go hands on. If anyone else reads this, bring a pistol... even a 9mm.

Cook the meat to at least 160* and you are GTG. Enjoy!

Posted: 1/26/2017 7:51:53 AM EDT

[#15]

No new information from me. Concur with what everybody else has said. I've taken plenty of pigs with 62 grain green tip. Have a great time, take pics, and report back.

Posted: 1/26/2017 1:40:25 PM EDT

[#16]

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Quoted:
Do you have an AR?

I have taken dozens with cheap 55grn FMJ shooting shoulder or forward. Drops them just like my .308 does.

Just cooked up some hog backstrap for Sunday dinner. Tasty stuff, I just do backstraps. Easy to get to.

When you clean one, use two knives... one for the skinning and gutting, and the other for when you cut out the edible meat. Hogs are nasty.

As to a pistol, took a few out of a trap with a 9mm FMJ last weekend. Charging animal is not a time to go hands on. If anyone else reads this, bring a pistol... even a 9mm.

Cook the meat to at least 160* and you are GTG. Enjoy!

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I have many an AR but I thought a Garand would be fun.

Posted: 1/27/2017 2:03:42 AM EDT

[#17]

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I have many an AR but I thought a Garand would be fun.

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Oh, that's probably true.

Faster follow-up shots might mean more meat in the freezer though... something to think about.

Posted: 1/27/2017 2:23:28 AM EDT

[#18]

the Garand is awesome, but take the scoped .270. Provided you can work a bolt in an expedient fashion, you'll have a better chance of definately killing pigs, accuracy advantage with a scope is nice, especially if you arent accustomed to shooting for the vitals of a pig, which are different than other big game. Also, as mentioned above, the Garand will suffer in low light. You want to be prepared no matter what, and a scope and modern .270 rounds will ensure accurate clean kills under more circumstances than an iron sighted rifle with FMJ's. Take the .270, ensure a kill, then pull the Garand out and have some fun, unless you're driving a miata up there you should be able to fit both.

Posted: 1/27/2017 4:11:44 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
the Garand is awesome, but take the scoped .270. Provided you can work a bolt in an expedient fashion, you'll have a better chance of definately killing pigs, accuracy advantage with a scope is nice, especially if you arent accustomed to shooting for the vitals of a pig, which are different than other big game. Also, as mentioned above, the Garand will suffer in low light. You want to be prepared no matter what, and a scope and modern .270 rounds will ensure accurate clean kills under more circumstances than an iron sighted rifle with FMJ's. Take the .270, ensure a kill, then pull the Garand out and have some fun, unless you're driving a miata up there you should be able to fit both.

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I packed up both. I had some 130gr XP winchester ammo, the kind with the plastic ballistic tip already.

I also brought a 1903 for fun since I brought so much 30-06. I did bring some of the same winchester xp in 30-06 for the 1903 - I believe its 150gr but I cant remember. I threw it in an ammo can this morning. I just dont like to shoot anything other than M2 or M72 style loading in the Garand.

Posted: 1/29/2017 12:57:55 AM EDT

[#20]

First night didn't quite go as planned. I was up in a stand with the .270 after walking around and some trespassers came out with dogs.

We ended up tracking them and then getting to their dogs who had got a fairly good sized boar. Repeat problem with them and they kept lying as usual my friend said. Had to deal with game warden. Had a few deer say hello.

Saturday rode dirt bikes for awhile and shot then started walking through starting see some fresh tracks. Ended up coming out in the open and had a group run across the valley.

Ended up taking a couple shots kneeling at about 100 yards with the Garand on the tail end of the group.

Not a bad weekend. Brought the little one home.

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I took a bunch more of the terrain. Good fun weekend

Posted: 1/29/2017 2:53:09 PM EDT

[#21]

congrats............you got some meat for the freezer. So, am wondering what rifle and caliber you felt worked best? Hope you plan to go again soon?

Posted: 1/30/2017 12:39:00 AM EDT

[#22]

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Quoted:
congrats............you got some meat for the freezer. So, am wondering what rifle and caliber you felt worked best? Hope you plan to go again soon?

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I only took the little one home.

Didn't get a shot Friday with the .270.

Familiarity with the Garand, fast target acquisition, and semi auto shot follow up made it a winner in my book.

Shot placement could have been better at that distance with the scoped rifle but follow up shots on the second pig probably wouldn't have happened with the bolt gun. I shot in the kneeling position. Didn't touch the 1903.

Posted: 1/30/2017 1:16:54 AM EDT

[#23]

Nice. I had 7 more in the trap on Friday, only 2 were worth getting the backstraps out of. Nice to nab those little ones before they get a chance to breed.